WHO ARE YOU - North Carolina Handout… · · 2017-08-07Who Are You? NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 1 1 Who Are You? ... Step-parent Godparent Grandmother Grandfather Aunt, Uncle

Who Are You?

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 1 1Who Are You?

1. Circle the items in each column that best describes you.

2. Put a check mark by the circled items that seem most important to you now.

A B C D

Lower economic class

Middle economic class

Upper economic class

Anglo-Saxon

American

Anglo

White

Female

Male

Business person

White collar worker

Blue collar worker

Professional

Paraprofessional

Technician

Skilled worker

Student

Service provider

Liberal

Moderate

Conservative

Don’t care

Black

African-American

Married

Single

Divorced

Separated

Other:

Republican

Democrat

Independent

Hispanic

Latino

Chicano

Latin-American

Hablante

Spanish-speaking

Native American

Indian

American Indian

Other:

Wife, Husband

Mother, Father

Step-parent

Godparent

Grandmother

Grandfather

Aunt, Uncle

Niece, Nephew

Daughter, Son

Step-child

Grandchild

Sister, Brother

Step-sister, Step-brother

Who Are You?

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 1 2Who Are You?

HOW DID YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF?

1. I best describe myself as:

Column A:

Column B:

Column C:

Column D:

2. My check marks tell me that the most important roles in my life now are:

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What are the advantages in my personal life of being this kind of person? At work? Disadvantages?

2. What are the advantages of being this kind of person in the majority community? Disadvantages?

3. What are the advantages of being this kind of person in minority communities? Disadvantages?

What Makes You Angry?

NCI Interventions Part A Unit 1 1


RATE YOUR ANGER LEVEL:

0 - You would feel very little or no annoyance

1 - You would feel a little irritated

2 - You would feel moderately upset

3 - You would feel quite angry

4 - You would feel very angry

In the blank before each question, mark your response.

1. Someone makes a mistake and blames it on you.

2 You are trying to concentrate, but a person nearyou is tapping their foot.

3. You lend someone an important book or tool, andthey fail to return it.

4. You have had a busy day and the person you livewith starts to complain about how you forgot to dosomething that you agreed to do.



5. You are trying to discuss something important with your mate or

partner who isn't giving you a chance to express your feelings.

6. You are in a discussion with someone who persists in arguing

about a topic they know very little about.

7. Someone sticks their nose into an argument betweenyou and

someone else.

8. You need to get somewhere quickly, but the car in front of you is

going 45 mph in a 55 mph zone and you can't pass them.

9. Stepping on a gob of chewing gum.

10. Being mocked by a small group of people as you pass them.

11. In a hurry to get somewhere, you tear a good pair of slacks on a

sharp object.



12. You use your last 35 cents to make a phone call, but you are

disconnected before you finish dialing and the money is lost.

13. It is bath time and you explain to the consumer you need for

them to get ready and you will be there to assist them. The

consumer strikes out at you and begins to call you names.

14. You are trying to have a discussion with someone and they pick up

the phone and start dialing.

15. You make a mistake and someone around you calls you stupid.

Values Clarification Exercise

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 1 1Values Clarification

DIRECTIONS: Complete all of the following:

1. Presently, I am feeling __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

2. In childhood when things were tough, emotions high, or trouble brewing, I usually felt:

_____________________________________________________________________

3. As an adult, what feelings do you most commonly experience when things go wrong?

______________________________________________________________________

4. What do you do with these feelings? ________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

5. What was your happiest moment, experience or greatest achievement? How did you feel?

6. Three things I do well are: _________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

7. Three areas, traits, or attitudes I want to improve are: Three things I do well are:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Why is it important to get in touch with your feelings? ___________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Test Your Stress IQ

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 1 1Stress Test

Write “True” or “False” to answer each question.

1. Stress is caused by bad things that happen to you.

2. Nervous tension and stress are the same thing.

3. Stress should be avoided.

4. People who feel stressed are nervous types to start with.

5. You always know when you’re under stress.

6. Stress is only in the mind; it’s not physical.

7. Stress can be eliminated if you know how to do it.

8. Stress can be controlled with medication.

9. Stress can make you miserable, but it can’t kill you.

10. The best way to control stress is to make major life-style changes.

How Tolerant Are You Really?A Psychological Test

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 1 1How Tolerant Are You Really?

Tolerance is not just a matter of flexibility or permissiveness, nor is it the bottling up of feelings we would

otherwise vigorously express. It is clearly tied to empathy – the capacity to put oneself into another person’s

shoes and see the world from his or her viewpoint. In a strange way, tolerance also involves our capacity to see

how other people view us. Another person’s aggressive or apparently ill-mannered behavior may reflect his

misjudgment in others is one of the greatest measures of tolerance.

While it is easy to detect intolerance in others, it is not so easy to pin it down in ourselves. This quiz, however, if

answered honestly and accurately, will give you some pointers.

1. When a friend does something of which you very much disapprove, do you:

a. break off the friendship?

b. tell your friend how you feel, but keep in touch?

c. tell yourself it is none of your business and behave toward your friend as you always have?

2. Is it hard for you to forgive someone who has hurt you badly?

a. Yes

b. No

c. It is not hard to forgive that person, but you don’t forget.

3. Do you think that:

a. censorship is vitally necessary to preserve moral standards?

b. a small degree of censorship may be necessary, to protect children for instance?

c. all censorship is wrong?

4. Are most of your friends:

a. people very much like you?

b. very different from you and from each other?

c. like you in some important respects, but different in others?

5. You are trying to work and concentrate, but the noise of children playing outside distracts you. Would you:

a. feel glad that they are having a good time?

b. feel furious with them?

c. feel annoyed, but acknowledge to yourself that kids do make noise?



6. If you were traveling abroad and found that conditions were much less hygienic than you

were used to, would you:

a. adapt quite easily?

b. laugh at your own discomfort?

c. think what a filthy country it is?

7. Which virtue do you think is most important?

a. Kindness

b. Honesty

c. Obedience

8. Do you discuss critically one friend with others?

a. Often

b. Rarely

c. Some

9. If someone you dislike has a piece of good luck, would you:

a. feel angry and envious?

b. wish it had been you, but not really mind?

c. think “Good for him”?

10. When you have a strong belief, do you:

a. try hard to make others see things the same way as you?

b. put forward your point of view but stop short of argument or persuasion?

c. keep it to yourself, unless directly asked?

11. A friend is suffering from depression. Everything in his life seems to be fine but he complains to you that

he always feels depressed. Would you

a. listen sympathetically?

b. tell him to pull himself together?

c. take him out to cheer him up?



12. Would you employ someone who had had a nervous breakdown?

a. No

b. Yes, if there were medical evidence of complete recovery.

c. Yes, if he or she were suitable in other ways for the work.

13. “Morality is relative.” Do you:

a. strongly agree?

b. agree up to a point?

c. strongly disagree?

14. When you meet someone who disagrees with your views, do you:

a. argue and lose your temper?

b. enjoy a good argument and keep your cool?

c. avoid argument?

15. Do you ever read a periodical that supports political views very different from yours?

a. Never.

b. Sometimes, if you come across it.

c. Yes, you make a special effort to read it.

16. With which statement do you most agree?

a. If crime were more severely punished, there would be less of it.

b. A better society would reduce the need for crime.

c. I wish I knew the answer to the problem of crime.

17. Do you think:

a. that some rules are necessary for social living, but the fewer the better?

b. that people must have rules because they need to be controlled?

c. that rules are tyrannical?

18. If you are a religious believer, do you think

a. that your religion is the only right one?

b. That all religions have something to offer their believers?

c. That non-believers are wicked people?



19. If you are not a religious believer, do you think

a. that only stupid people are religious?

b. that religion is a dangerous and evil force?

c. that religion seems to do good for some people?

20. Do you react to fussy old people with:

a. patience and good humor?

b. Annoyance?

c. sometimes A, sometimes B?

21. Do you think the women’s liberation movement is:

a. run by a bunch of lesbians?

b. an important social movement?

c. a joke?

22. Would you marry someone of a different race?

a. Yes.

b. No.

c. Not without thinking carefully about the various problems involved.

23. If your brother told you that he was homosexual, would you:

a. send him to a psychiatrist?

b. accept him, and his lover?

c. Feel shocked and reject him?

24. When people question authority, do you:

a. feel uneasy?

b. think that it is a good thing?

c. feel angry?



25. With which statement do you agree?

a. Marriage is a bad institution.

b. Marriage is sacred and must be upheld.

c. Marriage is often difficult, but seems to meet the needs of many people.

26. Do you think you are right – in matters of belief rather than fact?

a. Often.

b. Rarely.

27. If you stay in a household that is run differently from yours – in matters of tidiness and regularity of meals –

do you:

a. fit in quite happily?

b. feel constantly irritated by the chaos or the rigid orderliness of the place?

c. find it fairly easy for a short time, but not for too long?

28. Do other people’s personal habits annoy you?

a. Often.

b. Not at all.

c. Only if they are extreme, or you are edgy.

29. With which statement do you most agree?

a. We should not judge other people’s actions, because no one can ever fully understand the motives of

another.

b. People are responsible for their actions and have to take the consequences.

c. Even if it is tough on some people, actions have to be judged.



SCORING KEY

Total your score to find your analysis

1. a. 4 b. 2 c. 0 16. a. 4 b. 2 c. 0

2. a. 4 b. 0 c. 2 17. a. 0 b. 4 c. 4

3. a. 4 b. 0 c. 4 18. a. 4 b. 0 c. 4

4. a. 4 b. 0 c. 2 19. a. 4 b. 4 c. 0

5. a. 0 b. 4 c. 2 20. a. 0 b. 4 c. 2

6. a. 0 b. 0 c. 4 21. a. 4 b. 0 c. 4

7. a. 0 b. 2 c. 4 22. a. 0 b. 4 c. 2

8. a. 4 b. 0 c. 2 23. a. 2 b. 0 c. 4

9. a. 4 b. 2 c. 0 24. a. 2 b. 0 c. 4

10. a. 4 b. 2 c. 0 25. a. 4 b. 4 c. 0

11. a. 0 b. 4 c. 2 26. a. 4 b. 0 c. 2

12. a. 4 b. 2 c. 0 27. a. 0 b. 4 c. 2

13. a. 0 b. 2 c. 4 28. a. 4 b. 0 c. 2

14. a. 4 b. 0 c. 2 29. a. 0 b. 4 c. 2

15. a. 4 b. 2 c. 0

ANALYSIS

Below 30: If your score lies in this range, you are a particularly tolerant person. You are exceedingly aware of

others’ problems and difficulties, and you have a natural capacity for accepting them even when they offend you.

You are a good friend and popular. You may find that other people abuse your sympathetic good nature because

they have nothing to fear from recriminations. Even then, you do not get really cross with them.

31-60: You are a tolerant person, and people will recognize you as one. If your score is above 50, however, you

are probably tolerant and broad-minded in some areas only. Actually, it is easy to be tolerant if one does not

hold very firm beliefs about anything. Look through the questions again, and note where you picked up high

scores. Were these questions one in which personal comfort was directly concerned or where convictions or

very strong ideological beliefs were touched upon?



61-89: You are not as tolerant as many people, and if your score is higher than 80, you are a basically intolerant

person. That leads to clashes and short-term friendships, and little things trouble you far more than they should

– you may waste emotional energy on what is really rather insignificant. It is very likely that you count yourself

as someone with high principles, who tends to stick to important things rather than trivia. If you can get a wider

experience of life and greater genuine contact with people, however, your tolerance should increase, and in the

end you will feel happier for it.

Over 90: This high score indicates that you are a very intolerant person. If your score is over a hundred, then

you are bossy, opinionated and over-quick to take offense. The only friends you are likely to retain are those

who are interested in your money or generosity. If you have scored this high, ask yourself why you are so unable

to accept faults in others. What are the aspects of other people that offend you most? Could it be that you are

really punishing yourself for faults that you see in yourself?

Your Relationship With People ServedTwelve Danger Signals

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 2 1Twelve Danger Signals

1. You are spending too much time with one person.

Ask yourself, ask others – is this true?

2. You spend time with the person when you are “off duty.”

Why is this person special? What is the person learning about relationship boundaries?

3. The person served prepares for your arrival with special dress or staying up late.

What does this say about the relationship?

4. You feel you are the only one who understands the person; others are too critical or jealous of your

relationship.

What does this say about your relationship with the person served and with your co-workers?

5. You agree to keep secrets with the person served. You don’t document or report these secrets.

You should not agree to keep secrets. The information could be important to the team providing

care/support to the person. As part of that team, you must not keep information from the others. Secrets

are not part of a therapeutic relationship.

6. You tend to report and communicate only negative parts of the person’s behavior.

What you observe is being influenced by negative feelings about the person being served. Talking with

your supervisor or other team members is encouraged because these feelings get in the way of providing

services and supports.

7. You are guarded or defensive when someone questions your interaction or relationship with the person.

If all is well with the relationship, why the need for defensiveness and anger?

8. The person being served talks freely and spontaneously with you, especially in light, superficial

conversation. There may be sexual overtones. However, the person doesn’t talk with or avoids your co-

workers.

Whose needs is this relationship meeting? Is it a therapeutic or social relationship, or a friendship?

During long-term working therapeutic relationships, you and the person served can become close. It

should never become social or sexual.

9. Your style of dressing for work has changed since you started working with this person.

Are you becoming more aware of professional dressing or are you dressing to impress this person?

Whose needs are you meeting?

10. You receive gifts, cards, letters, telephone calls from the person.

Are you unconsciously reinforcing a personal relationship? How does the person see the relationship?

You need to examine the situation.

Your Relationship With People ServedTwelve Danger Signals

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 2 2Twelve Danger Signals

11. You have trouble accepting the fact that the person with disabilities needs services/supports.

What is getting in the way of being objective about this person. Looking on him or her as “a victim of

circumstance” or “as normal as everyone else” can get in the way of providing the care the person

deserves.

12. You view the person as “yours” in a possessive way.

You are part of a team working with this person. You don’t “own” the relationship.

The Job Review

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 2 1The Job Review

Janice has just had a job review, and it was not very good. The problems were "a slow sluggish work rate"

and "an apparent lack of interest in her job". She has returned home and wants to discuss her anger and the

job review with one of the staff. Mike, a support person at the group home, is trying to complete some

routine documentation.

Janice: (Angry) "Mike, I really need to talk with you. I got a bad evaluation on my job today. That's not fair!

I'm a good worker, I never miss work, I need all my money!"

Mike: (Keeps working on paperwork)

Janice: "Tell me what to do Mike! They can't do that to me. It's that mean boss man! He's ugly and he

doesn't like me. I know that's what it is."

Mike: (Keeps working on paperwork)

Janice: "They weren't fair when they did the review. That man kept watching me all day. He won't talk to

me, and he acted mean. I was scared of him! Why did he sit there watching me like that, Mike? I didn't like

that. I bet that mean, ugly boss man sent him."

Mike: "Janice, you sure are wound-up today. Did you see how bad your favorite ball team got beat in their

last game? They look more like the rat pack right now than the Wolfpack. You gotta stop all this griping. If

it was really something serious, they could probably do it again. Since you only make $.50 per hour how

much could they cut your salary.

Janice: "But I..."

Mike: "Next time you will have to work harder."

Janice: "But I..."

Mike: "Maybe if you act nice to the man watching you, they'll give you a raise. Ha, Ha, Ha."

Janice: "But I..."

The Job Review

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 2 2The Job Review

Mike: "Look, I have a lot of important paperwork to do. I can't sit here and talk all day. Somebody has to

make sure this place provides good services."

Janice: (Dejected) "But I want my money. I was sick all last week, and the medicine I had to take made me

sleepy."

Mike: "You'll get well and they will do another job review someday. The lesson to learn is don't get sick

before a job review. Now, I have important work to do. See ya."

Role Play – Rachel Bennett & Barry

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 2 1Rachel & Barry

Rachel Bennett slams her car into reverse, stomps the accelerator, and plows out of the driveway. A

horn blasts behind her and she brings both feet down hard on the brakes. As the car rocks back and

forth, Rachel jerks her head around in time to see the driver of a green compact shake his fist at her.

“Great! That just about tears it!” Rachel mutters to herself as she leans her head on the steering

wheel. This morning has been a wash out from the beginning. First the alarm clock doesn’t go off,

so she wakes up 45 minutes late, she leaps from the bed in a blind panic, throws on her clothes (not

before using hairspray instead of deodorant), races to the kitchen for her salvation…that first cup of

coffee, only to find out she has no milk to go in it. After shuddering her way through one cup, she

gathers her books and papers together and heads for the door. It suddenly dawns on her that it

might be helpful if she had her car keys. The problem was…where did she put them? She roots

around the house for a few minutes only to find them in the most logical place…her tennis shoe.

Rachel leans her head back against the head rest, slowly pries her fingers from the steering wheel and

takes a couple of deep breaths.

“I’ve got to calm down and get back in control. I have too much to deal with today,” she

admonishes herself. She slowly eases the car out of the driveway and heads towards school.

She begins reviewing what she was going to teach today. Teach…teacher…miracle worker is more

like it. This sure isn’t what she had envisioned herself doing. For as long as she could remember she

had wanted to teach…to lead young minds on a search through discoveries of knowledge was always

her goal.

No one told her she would have to be a referee, a mind reader, a drill sergeant, a secretary and still

hope that somewhere along the line she could teach. College never prepared her for minds that were

not open to learn, but rather find devious ways to defeat learning.

A face appears before her eyes, and she grits her teeth. Barry Jones is a prime example of a mind

closed to all her attempts. If she could only redirect that will to defy her into a will to learn…but is

that really Barry’s problem? That family of his is a waste! Rachel shakes her head, she just doesn’t

know how to reach a student whose problems are extraneous to school, yet have an impact on his

ability to learn and cope with classroom demands.



“I’m not his social worker!” she says aloud as she slams her car door. “Let them take care of his

family problems. I haven’t got time to handle him with kid gloves.” There are eleven other students

in her class just as troubled as Barry.

Rachel marches into her classroom. Yesterday it was a war zone! Three fights broke out, her voice is

still hoarse from shouting over the kids arguing, and the principal had reprimanded her for not being

in control of her students.

Today would be different! She was not going to give the kids an inch. She would reassert her

control…after all she was the teacher!

As she begins to call the roll, in walks Barry. Already he is trying to start something. Now is the

time to step in…



Barry holds his head high and directs his eyes toward the lieutenant who is discussing their mission.

“Jones, you take the point. We need your scouting skills to determine where the enemy is.” Barry

shrugs his shoulders a little to readjust his equipment pack and stands tall. He knows that he is the

best. The men count on his bravery and skill.

“OK men, move out! Follow Jones step for step!”, the lieutenant barks out. Barry starts down the

trail, his eyes alert, adrenaline flowing, ears perked for any signs of danger…

“Barry! Barry get up!” The pounding on the door startles him as he jerks awake. His heart bangs in

his chest, perspiration drips down his neck as his vision begins to clear. His dingy cluttered room

comes into focus as the whining voice continues on the other side of the door. Barry picks up a shoe

and throws it at the voice.

Quiet! Bliss! Barry rolls out of bed and begins to dress. As his head pops through his Spuds

McKinsey T-shirt, he gazes at the Marine poster on his wall. Glimpses of his dream flash in his head.

One day…one day he will be one of the “few good men”. He’ll be a man. He’ll be away from this

house, that dumb school, and his Mom. Barry sighs, yeah, away from Mom’s nagging. He takes a

deep breath and heads towards the kitchen and that disembodied voice.

Everything would have been different if the old man hadn’t got sick and died. Mom was too

involved with him and her own problems to bother Barry much. He lived on the periphery of his

parent’s struggle with cancer, poverty, and mental illness. Now Mom has focused her scattered

attention on him. One minute she seems to expect him to be a man so she can lean on him, then

suddenly she comes down on him like he was a 2 year old. She fluctuates between ignoring and

smothering him.

Barry grabs a soda and some bologna from the fridge and hurries through the back door. The

nagging voice can still be heard as he steps into the street to wait for the bus. He folds the bologna

into his mouth as he asks himself, “Why am I waiting for that dumb bus? Why am I going to that

dumb school, with its dumb teachers and dumb rules? I don’t get any slack there either! Bet Ol’

Bennett would be glad if he didn’t show up today.” Barry visualizes his high school teacher and



smirks. Ol’ Bennett with her frizzy hair, hard eyes, and skinny legs. She thinks she is so smart, that

she knows everything. Boy would he love to teach her a thing or two!

As Barry shuffles down the hall towards his classroom, he feels rage bubbling in his stomach. Ms.

Bennett’s sing song voice can be heard calling roll. Barry slowly saunters down the aisle towards his

desk, knocking books off desks and jostling classmates.

“Barry, take your seat immediately!” the order was rapped out. Barry stops and gazes at “Ol’

Chicken-legs” and then slowly…ever so slowly eases into his seat. He stretches his long lanky legs

out into the aisle and manages to knock some books out of the desk in front of him. The kids

around him begin to snicker. He looks up at the teacher and smiles…

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 4 1What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Time: 7:40 AM

Day: Friday

Location: Happy Hide-A-Way Group Home

William is late for work and is waiting to get into the bathroom. He delivers mail at the local Bosch plant and

is very proud of his excellent work record.

Randy is going to be picked up for work in 20 minutes; he works for Red Hat unloading trucks. He is very

nervous about how much his boss wants him to do and is afraid that if he is late he will be fired.

Rusty works in the afternoon at a restaurant, washing dishes and busing tables. He loves to pick on his

housemates. He has nothing to do today until 11:00 AM.

Shirley is a very capable lady who occasionally enjoys making others mad. She has very limited mobility and

uses a wheelchair. Today, even though she doesn't have to be ready for work until 11:00 AM, she got up at

5:30 AM to beat everyone into the bathroom. Normally she is the last one to use it.

It is Friday, a heavy workday at both Bosch and Red Hat. William and then Randy normally get into the

bathroom early and are done before Rusty or Shirley need to bathe, etc.

Two staff should be on duty at the group home on first shift. Today only one has gotten to work. That staff

member, who is fairly new, is in the kitchen at the other end of the house trying to fix breakfast and pack

lunches.

The scene in the hallway outside of the bathroom is one of steadily increasing tension. There is a radio

playing loudly that was turned on by the staff member when she came in earlier. Rusty has his portable TV

on. Both TV and radio are much too loud.

Unfortunately, the bathroom is not handicapped accessible. Shirley, who has been in the bathroom for quite

a while, is frustrated with not being able to get close enough to the sink. Normally a staff member helps her,

since accessibility issues prevent her from being totally independent. Unfortunately, she is not willing to

come out of the bathroom to let the others finish getting ready for work.

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

NCI Interventions Part A-Unit 4 2What’s Wrong With This Picture?

William is pacing and fussing about being late for work, too few staff, loud TV and radio, and Shirley's

stubbornness.

Randy is nervous and afraid of being fired for being late to work. As he walks around the room he and

William keep bumping into each other because of the crowded hallway. As he paces, he worries about

whether staff will show up for work and will take him to work on time.

The four individuals fuss and argue their way through 10-15 minutes. Points brought out by their

conversation are:

Bad environmental design

Loud noise

No dependable staff

Rusty is bored

Shirley fusses about her inaccessible world

Randy is intimidated by his job and boss

Bad scheduling for everyone

Ten Questions to Ask Yourself

NCI Intervenitons Part A-Unit 5 1Ten Questions

1. Can I handle this situation alone?

2. Is there potential for danger for others?

3. Is help readily available?

4. Can I keep from getting angry?

5. Is my appearance going to interfere with my ability to

respond?

6. Can I get others to a safe exit, if necessary?

7. Does this person have a history of hitting, biting, running

away, etc?

8. What is this person’s crisis plan?

9. What is my agency’s policy regarding this type of

intervention?

10. Before I have to put hands on, is there anything else thatmight be done to resolve this crisis appropriately without usingphysical intervention?

Big Ol’ Mess Handout

NCI Interventions, Part A-Unit 5 1Big Ol’ Mess Handout

You have applied the prevention skills we have discussed, yet despite your best efforts, youfeel there is a crisis brewing. It may be an isolated event, or there may be several related eventsforming a pattern of concern. Your job, in this area of early crisis intervention, is to spot thepotential for a crisis, successfully intervene and avoid a personal or interpersonal problem.

Here is one way to draw a crisis, as it develops over time.

All crisis displays don’t happen exactly this way, but this example does give us a way to picture acrisis event. The terms we are using on this graph are:

Time (horizontal axis) – can be very brief or over a long time

Intensity (vertical axis) – from calm through irritated, angry, hostile, & aggressive

Irritating events: there may be one or many

Big Ol’ Mess (Crisis Event) – may be fighting, yelling, crying, running away, self-injury,substance abuse, abuse of others, etc.

If prevention measures work, everyone should stay calm. If prevention doesn’t work, use crisisintervention skills as early (as close to calm) as possible. The greater the intensity (anger) of theperson, the more difficult the intervention.

Let’s apply this model to a “real life” situation.

1. Frank and Warren live a group home and are friends. They are both big guys and tease eachother a lot. Frank has “gotten the best of” Warren several days in a row, and Warren is a littleannoyed by it. If the next couple of days go by quietly, Warren will be fine.

Big Ol’ Mess Handout

NCI Interventions, Part A-Unit 5 2Big Ol’ Mess Handout

At supper Frank gets to the table before Warren. As Warren walks by, Frank trips him. Warrenstumbles and nearly falls. He is embarrassed and yells at Frank.

Later that night, Frank trips Warren as everyone is going outside to make ice cream. AgainWarren yells. He also balls up his fists, and for the next little while keeps muttering about gettingeven with Frank.

Finally, just before bedtime as everyone is sitting around watching TV, Warren gets up to getready for bed, and Frank trips him again. This time Warren loses control.

In the living room with three other people who live there and two staff, Frank and Warrencreate a Big Ol’ Mess.

2. Look at the behavior outburst graph we just talked about.

1) How might prevention skills have helped avoid a Big Ol’ Mess?a) Good prevention would have set the stage for early intervention and less stress.b) Good prevention skills can create multiple options for intervention.

2) If you were one of the two staff, when would you have wanted to intervene? Why?a) Early, low on curveb) Defusing problems early tends to be less likely to involve intense conflict.c) Good prevention skills prevent problems we never see.

3) What are some of the preventive actions that could have helped avoid this “Big Ol’ Mess”?a) Staff redirection.b) Stress-free place for either Frank or Warren or both.c) Staff discussion with Warren – is something wrong?d) Knowledge and use of Frank’s risk factors and plan.e) Problem solving session between Frank and Warren.

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